From the Archives - 7 December 2012 - Floral Feast

This post is part of a brand new blog series called 'From the Archives'. It will be previously posted blog posts that I feel are still relevant for some reason or another. 

It will always be a post from the same calendar month as we are in or it could be some of my favourite flowers from the same season - that still lifts my spirit. 

Flowers are so ephemeral - but their beauty caught on camera never fades.........!!

Inspired by the season and the fact that I wanted to use some red berries I came up with this very easy and very quick arrangement. 

My local florist, Achillea, always has inspiring displays outside as well as inside their shop and this time was no exception. I picked some Ilex with red berries and some berried ivy. I also said that they didn't need to wrap it up, but as I turned my back for thirty seconds she had it all wrapped up in brown paper and matched the berries with red raffia!

The Ilex verticillata that I chose is a holly that is also called Black alder or Winterberry. At this time of year there are some other twigs with fruit or berries that you can use, like crab apples or rose hips. 

The berried ivy is just normal ivy, but it's only mature ivy that has berries. I have plenty of ivy in my garden but it is clipped every year so it never reaches a mature state and therefore no berries. I love the colour and texture of the berries combined with the glossy pointed leaves.

Just like with all cut flowers you need to condition both the Ilex and the ivy. Remove any branches and leaves that will sit below the waterline and cut the stems at an angle. You will need a pair of secateurs to cut any woody stems and you should also split the stem at the bottom to increase the surface area, to help the plant absorb water. 

I have used a large clear glass vintage apothecary bottle, a small glass container, a red and white enamelled candle holder, red raffia, some small mostly red vintage Christmas baubles and a torn strip of black & white fabric with a pattern of snow crystals. 

I put the Ilex in the big bottle and tied the piece of fabric around the neck.

I arranged the ivy in the little bottle and twisted the raffia around the top.

The vintage enamelled candle holder is made by the Swedish company Kockums. I put a partly burnt candle in the holder, I didn't want it to be too tall, and arranged the little vintage baubles around it.

I am hoping to be able to inspire you with more seasonal and very easy floral arrangements every Friday for the next few months.  

[Photography and Styling by Ingrid Henningsson for ...Of Spring and Summer...]